On March 2, Professor Zhu Min and his research team from the School of Integrated Circuits at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in partnership with Researcher Song Zhitang from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as international research groups, made a groundbreaking discovery in the realm of three-dimensional (3D) high-density memory technology. For the first time, the study identified the 'material gene' of the Ovonic Threshold Switch (OTS) device—namely, elemental selenium—elucidated its charge-triggered switching mechanism, and successfully integrated the switch with memory cells. This breakthrough offers a fresh approach for developing large-scale, high-speed memory chips and advances memory technology towards greater density and reduced power consumption. As a key component in 3D high-density memory, the OTS is essential for minimizing crosstalk and activating memory cells. Historically, selenium/tellurium-based OTS materials have been dominated by companies like Intel, making the exploration of new OTS materials a focal point in memory research. This study not only overcomes existing technological hurdles but also establishes a foundation for the independent and controllable advancement of memory chips.